Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Shopping

Because it's physically impossible for me to take mom shopping (at the moment), I took her online shopping instead. We browsed the website together, (ahhh the beauty of internet) and she picked this....



Nice choice, I think. Simple, yet tasteful. It'll be waiting for her when she gets here in June. I dare not send it to Germany because they'll tax the heck out of her.
I've never owned a Coach purse, I don't think I ever will (the price tag turns me off). But my mamita deserves it!

How about you, are you a purse person? Do you buy signature brands or are you like me who don't really give a $hit?

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Economic shakedown

As parents, we do our best to provide for our children. We do what it takes to make sure we put food on the table and cover the most basic of necessities in these uncertain times. We work so we can secure a good future for our children. But what do you do when suddenly the future that you built for your children collapsed right before your eyes? Ken Karpman, a former CEO who earned $750K a year is faced with this dilemma. For years, they enjoyed a pretty luxurious life. Until he decided to go solo and quit his job. The solo venture didn't go as planned. He lost his nest egg, and dried up all his reserves. Their huge home is now on foreclosure. The kids are still in private school, thanks to an anonymous donor who pays their tuition. Ken took a job as a delivery man for a pizza joint, earning $7.29 an hour, plus tips. It is indeed a huge blow. Reminds me of a distant relative who earned lots of money with industrial supplies. He was one of the top suppliers in the country before recession hit. Now, he's reduced to a regular 8-5 job, earning just enough to keep it going. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Magkano ka????

Magkano ang dangal mo? Kung si "Nicole" ka, rape victim eklavu chuvachoochoo, humigit kumulang $2000 lang o Pph 100,000.

“My conscience continues to bother me realizing that I may have in fact been so friendly and intimate with Daniel Smith at the Neptune Club that he was led to believe that I was amenable to having sex or that we simply just got carried away. I would rather risk public outrage than do nothing to help in ensuring that justice is served,” she said in her five-page affidavit.

Nicole said she wondered how she could recall her testimony that Smith kissed her lips and neck and held her breast inside the van, when witnesses told the court that she passed out and looked unconscious when he took her to the van.

“How could I have resisted his advances given this condition? Daniel Smith and I were alone on the third row of the van, which had limited space and I do not recall anyone inside the van who held my hand or any part of my body. What I can recall is that there was very loud music and shouting inside the van,” she explained.

“With the events at the Neptune Club in mind, I keep asking myself, if Daniel Smith wanted to rape me, why would he carry me out of the Neptune Club using the main entrance in full view of the security guard and the other customers. Why would the van park right in front of Neptune Club? Why would Daniel Smith and his companions bring me to the sea wall of Alaba Pier and casually leave this area that was well-lighted and with many people roaming around?” she added.

The victim, who reportedly flew to the US after receiving P100,000 for damages from Smith and terminating the services of her lawyer, also believes that if she was really raped by Smith, “he and his companions would have dumped me instead in a dimly lit area along the highway going to Alaba Pier to avoid detection.”-Philstar



Sabi ko na nga ba eh. Duda na ako noon pa man sa claim nya na ni-rape sya ni pareng Daniel Smith. Una, hindi gawain ng matinong babae ang magpakalango sa alak to the point na mawalan ka ng ulirat at mapagsamantalahan ng kung sino-sino lamang. Ginalugad ko din ang club scene nung kabataan ko, ngunit hindi ko pinabayaan ang sarili ko. Wala naman masama kung magpakasaya ka, lalo pa't wala kang pananagutan sa buhay, pero kailangan mo ding mag-ingat. Ikalawa, ang gwaping ni Daniel Smith noon huh. I'm sure kung gugustuhin nya eh marami syang makukuhang babae lalo pa't nasa Pinas sya.

Kung totoo man na pinagsamantalahan si "Nicole" ni Daniel, sana pinangatawanan na lang niya ang nauna nya nang salaysay. Sana nagkaron sya ng paninindigan. Dahil sa ginawa nyang pagbawi sa mga ibinintang nya sa pobreng sundalo, hindi lang dangal nya ang nawala, parang ibinenta nya na ang buo nyang pagkatao. Nagmukha lang tuloy syang echosera! Ewan ko ba, kapwa Pinay ko ang involved pero hindi ko makuhang maki-simpatya sa kanya.

Ano sa tingin mo?

Monday, March 16, 2009

Plans

3 more months and mamita will be here. We are super excited. My leave's been approved and we will spend most of it travelling. We are also planning a lot of weekend getaways to maximize her stay here. We heard about how nice Myrtle beach is and we might be able to squeeze it in the sched. She's looking forward to meeting pinoys in our area so she can have some peeps to play tong-its with. I've already met some but I've never really pursued anything. I'm not really the sociable type. I'll let mom handle the "socializing" when she gets here. I hope she wins hehe.

Do you know how to play tong-its? Do you play for money or just for the fun of it?

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Weekend

Saturday is almost over. Hubby worked most of the day and I stayed home with the kids. He came home at around 4PM, only to get my car because it needed oil change. I'm glad he's doing it for me because I haven't had the chance. He told me look up some Ocean Perch (a type of fish) recipes online because he'll cook dinner when he gets back. It's my LAZY day.

Daylight saving time will start at 2AM on Sunday. We spring forward this time, so we need to set our clocks one hour ahead before we go to bed tonight. That means we lose an hour of sleep. Darn. I bet Monday will be a drag. I'll be needing extra dose of coffee.

What's your typical weekend?

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Dugas

Hubby's been wanting to watch the Detroit Red Wings (Michigan hockey team) in action so I finally gave him the go signal to purchase the tickets online last night. He browsed a few websites and found the cheapest tickets he could find. I was shocked when he told me the 2 tickets set us back $300. It includes the shipping and processing fee. This afternoon, FedEx came knocking at our door with a little package. It's his tickets! That was quick service, I thought. I opened the package and saw the actual face value of the tickets. $55 each! That is only freaking $110 for both, so why the heck did we get charged $300??? I swear these online scalpers are going to hell for charging too much. :-). Thing is, this is a legal practice here.

I wonder if hubby could have gotten it cheaper at online auctions??

Diet

In this very shaky economy, people have turned to fast food where they can get more bang for their buck. It's fast, convenient, and a very cheap alternative. But it's not always good because fast food is bad for our health. It's linked to obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

I guess people are not to concerned about weight gain because there's an abundance of weight loss supplements in the market today. It's sad, but it's the reality of life. What's important is to educate yourself and know the dangers diet fads bring. Eat healthy and be more active. It's your life. Take care of it.

Piggy Bank

I was off early from work today so I decided to go to the furniture store in our area. I've been wanting to get a server (sort of a buffet hutch) for our dining area but I have yet to find one that fits my budget. I can't believe how expensive they are! The ones that are affordable are of low quality. I wish I had bought one in Germany, but at that time, I wasn't even sure how roomy our dining area is going to be.

Anyway, I ended up browsing the store for a couple of hours. I got some ideas for our home, like an antique looking stereo cabinet. It's beautiful and will really enhance our den. I wanted to buy it right away. Good thing my stingy side prevailed. I don't think we really need it. I'd rather save the money for rainy days.

Tax time

It's tax season! To some, it's the time to receive an extra boost in their finances thru huge tax refunds while to others, it means bigger hole in their pockets.

Someone that works with my husband is getting about $10K back and they plan to stimulate the economy with it. They are buying a home theater seating for their living room. We are not getting that much (not even close). Unfortunately, we moved up a tax bracket and had to pay more taxes. Arrgh! Where is justice in that???